Hi everyone,
I've run into an interesting problem with my TLD 15. Whenever i turn the handle it makes grinding noise, and it gets progressively worse with more drag applied. I know it's not the bearing because i replaced it, and while that made it a bit better/smoother, there is still a loud grinding noise that increases with more drag.
The one caveat to this is if i reel the line in with just a little bit of counter tension on the spool, (i.e. just holding the line with my fingers as i reel) the grinding disappears at all drag levels. What could be causing this? Pinion/Drive Gear? Is it more likely one than the other?
Thanks for any thoughts. If i'm not clear i can add a video demonstrating this problem.
if you take a really close look at the gear teeth, you might see that they are damaged. the gear teeth will wear down and deform under a heavy load. the gear teeth will also wear if they are out of alignment. two things can do that. one is severe damage to the pinion bearing that allows the pinion gear to misalign. the other is a cracked side plate that allows the main gear to move. or sometimes, it's all three. See the crack?
Thanks Alan. I emailed you.
Update:
I have now replaced the gears and the pinion bearing. The reel is still making noise when there is no counter resistance on the spool. I can't think of what else could possibly be causing the problem. Does anyone have any ideas? Is it possible for the spool bearings to be causing the noise?
When I used to work on the TLD's, 2-Speeds, Beastmasters, etc. —- unless I was dead-certain a bearing was 100% good —- it would be replaced.
The spool bearings are often over-looked in these —- since they are inside and lots of guys think they are protected already (salt water intrudes everywhere).
So probably 65% of the time —- all of the bearings would be replaced at once when the reel was on the bench.
Did I replace some bearings that still had some life left in them?
Sure, but I knew it was as righteous as possible when leaving the bench —- and there would not be a complaint or a comeback.
Good grease application is also important —- like Alan offers us with his custom grease applicators for bearings.
Generally, a bearing will "howl" before it grinds. However, whatever the issue, a new complete set of bearings would prolong the life of this reel for another decade or two of steady fishing.
Best, Fred
Yeah, maybe spool bearings. If you can't figure it out, would like to hear/see a video. The type of noise can sometimes be important. This one those "good/interesting one" problems. I have this reel, so it could important for future reference.
Hold the bearings in one hand. Take your index finger push on the middle of the bearings and turn. If you feel anything its bad.
Gonna try some new spool bearings. I'll keep you guys updated.
Just posted on the tn-20 thread with a new problem if anyone thinks they might know what's wrong with that, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I insert a phillips screwdriver in the bearing and turn it. Any irregularity is easily transmitted to the screwdriver and you can feel it
If it's not the pinion bearing and the gears are OK, it may well be the left side spool bearing.
Ok. Installed all new spool bearings. The pinion bearing was replaced a week or 2 ago and haven't fished it. Gears are brand new, both pinion and main. The only difference i've noticed is that free spool lasts forever now with the new bearings. But i'm still hearing the same noise. At this point i'm starting to think maybe it's normal because i have no clue what else would be causing it. The handle is significantly harder to turn at full, almost clunky if i reel slow enough, and very loud.
https://youtu.be/QXYFavvAk0g
I've attached a video so you guys can be the judge of wether this is normal or not.
Started off with little to no drag, then went to full.
looks normal to me. hard to be sure without the reel in hand. :-\
Thanks Alan. I have noticed that pressing the handle inwards towards the spool while reeling minimizes the sound. Theres no crack in the side plate like you mentioned but there is some play in that gear... ive noticed that on several tld's though.
When you press the handle in it's pushing the main gear inward too.
As you know the anti reverse ratchet is pressed on the main gear.
It's letting pressure off of the anti reverse dog and spring.
The anti reverse is very loud on yours. Maybe the spring can be bent to be not as loud
Quote from: handi2 on November 16, 2022, 11:51:14 PMWhen you press the handle in it's pushing the main gear inward too.
As you know the anti reverse ratchet is pressed on the main gear.
It's letting pressure off of the anti reverse dog and spring.
The anti reverse is very loud on yours. Maybe the spring can be bent to be not as loud
You're right about the anti reverse. But that clicking is not what's getting quieter. It really just sounds like loud gear noise. I can feel the handle vibrating from it the more drag i use.
We're you able to see if you could find those dogs and springs for the trinidad?
Thanks in advance.
Interesting thing i found here. I realized that this reel is older and made in japan. I'm not sure when they changed it from japan to malaysia.. but that did get me thinking. I looked at a 2003 schematic of a tld15 and then the current schematic from the shimano website.
The older reels have an extra thrust washer under the 2nd spool bearing on the right side of the spool (key #36) but that part is nowhere to be found on the newer schematic. However.. on my reel that washer is nowhere to be found either. The thing is i'm not sure if it's even supposed to be there.
I have noticed though that just pushing the spool a bit to right with my finger while reeling makes the gears a lot quieter. Maybe there's something there...
Old Schematic:
https://www.reelschematic.com/wp-content/uploads/schematics/Shimano/Triton/SHIMANO%20TLD15(2003).pdf
New Schematic:
http://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--xbKNJSUz--/pbzj8fxbygnbw8wrl8oh.pdf
Just food for thought at this point. Not sure if i'm gonna be able to resolve the issue. I know for a fact the reel is not functioning like it should. But it's hard to demonstrate without having it in your own hands, like Alan said.
I guess some stories do have a happy ending.
One of my friends paid me 100$ to help him out with my homework. Naturally, I went online to look at deals on eBay for used reels. I found this old japanese tld in super mint condition. It looks like it's never seen the water, and i only paid 70$. Even better thing is the handle binding is basically non existent on this reel and the gears are a million times quieter. Also no random noises coming from the spool in free-spool. All it needs are some new spool bearings, which I have from the other reel... and just about every other part i could possibly need :)
For me what I hear on the tld15 is just the anti-reverse mechanism. Maybe there's something else that I cannot pick up in your video.
Also in that real if it has the older canvas drags in it I would swap it over to carbontex. The canvas drag has a tendency to get sticky/jumping at startup overtime.
This is a Shimano Charter Special turned into a TLD. I think I've modified more TLD reels than any other. They are excellent multitasking reels,
Keith